San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan still hasn't officially named his starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. However, while Shanahan refuses to divulge his decision, he clearly has made one based on his recent comments.
“I've got a pretty good idea,” Shanahan said. “But as you guys can see with everything, I don't know our schedule a couple days from now. So, I've always had a pretty good idea. But there are lots of days between now and then, at every position.”
The fact that 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo echoed Shanahan while sporting a massive grin on his face would certainly seem to suggest that Jimmy G will indeed be the starter over Trey Lance.
This has always seemed to be Shanahan's plan after San Francisco drafted Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. There was a ton of drama about the 49ers' selection before they ultimately picked Lance, with plenty of smokescreens out there about Mac Jones. There's now a bit of drama about this starting quarterback choice, even though Shanahan had hinted all along that Garoppolo would likely be the choice.
Lance has been getting more of an opportunity with the first team in practice and even during preseason games, but it seems as if this is more to get him ready to get some occasional reps in relief of Garoppolo during games in an effort to give defenses a different look. Shanahan explicitly referenced how the New Orleans Saints used Drew Brees and Taysom Hill in recent years, so it's a decent bet that Jimmy G will get the start while Lance will get a chance to play.
The 49ers have one more preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders before their Week 1 affair against the Detroit Lions.
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